Bug Food: Edible Insects

Insect Snacks From Around the World

by Lana Unger, Entomology Extension Specialist

What is it about North American culture that keeps us from using one of
our most abundant and readily available food sources, insects? We could
learn a lot from our international neighbors. Many cultures around the globe
have evolved to use insects in their diets. There was probably some trial
and error involved because not all insects are edible. In fact, some insects
are poisonous. But there are lots of insects that are safely eaten by people
around the world.

Eating Insects in the Past...

Algeria - The natives of Algeria would collect large numbers
of desert locusts to use as food. They were a valuable resource for the
poor population. The locusts were cooked in salt water and dried in the
sun. Not only were they collected for personal use, but the locusts were
traded in the markets as well.

Australia - Australian natives, known as Aborigines, have
eaten many different insects throughout history. Hundreds of Aborigines
would come together at the Bogong mountains to feast on Bogong moths. These
moths would gather in large numbers on the cave floors and in rock crevices.
They were harvested, cooked in sand and stirred in hot ashes. This would
burn off the wings and legs. The moths were then sifted through a net to
remove their heads before they were eaten by the Aborigines. Some of the
moths were ground into paste and made into cakes.

Another important insect in the Aboriginal diet was the witchety grub.
This was a moth larva that lived in the roots of the acacia bush, also known
as the witchety bush. The grubs were eaten raw or cooked in ashes. Cooked
grubs supposedly taste like almonds. The grubs were a valued food source
in the Australian desert, especially to women and children.

Some of the insects eaten by the Aborigines were very sweet. The natives
would dig into the ground looking for the nests of honeypot ants. The workers
of these ants collect honeydew from scales and psyllids and feed it to other
worker ants, which would become storage containers for the sweet liquid.
The "storage" workers could be found in the nests.

The "honeybag" bee, a stingless native bee, also provided sweet
treats for the Aborigines. The "honeybag" was actually the bees'
hive. In order to find the "honeybag," the Aborigines would catch
a bee that was feeding on nectar, use sticky plant juice to stick a leaf
or flower petal to it, and set it loose. The bee would fly straight home.
The attached leaf or petal would slow down the bee and make it easier to
see and follow.

... and Present!

Japan - The Japanese have used insects as human food since
ancient times. The practice probably started in the Japanese Alps, where
many aquatic insects are captured and eaten. Thousands of years ago, this
region had a large human population but a shortage of animal protein. Since
the area had an abundance of aquatic insects, this food source became very
important for human survival.

The Japanese still use insects in many recipes. If you were to go to a
restaurant in Tokyo, you might have the opportunity to sample some of these
insect-based dishes

hachi-no-ko - boiled wasp larvae

zaza-mushi - aquatic insect larvae

inago - fried rice-field grasshoppers

semi - fried cicada

sangi - fried silk moth pupae

Most of these insects are caught wild except for silk moth pupae. They
are by-products of the silk industry. Silk moths are raised in mass for
their ability to produce silk. The larvae, the young silk moths, produce
the silk. Once they pupate, they can no longer produce silk and are then
used as food.

Kwara State, Nigeria, West Africa - People from this area
have been known to feast on termites, crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars,
palm weevil larvae, and compost beetle larvae. Termites are collected by
placing a bowl of water under a light source. The termites are attracted
to the light and will then fall into the water. If large numbers of termites
are gathered, they are sold at local markets. People of all ages eat the
winged reproductive termites, but the queen termites are considered a delicacy
and are only eaten by adults. The termites are roasted over a fire or hot
coals or fried in a pot. After cooking, the wings are removed and salt is
added to taste.

Crickets are collected from soil tunnels which they build. The crickets
are roasted over a fire or hot coals. The guts are removed before eating.
Several taboos surround eating crickets. Members of the Yoruba tribes do
not generally eat crickets. Many worship Ogun, the iron god, and he forbids
animals that have no blood. Others believe that eating crickets is childish.

Grasshoppers are prepared and eaten in a manner similar to that for crickets,
but there are more grasshoppers than crickets. They are eaten by people
of all ages and there are no taboos associated with them. Some farmers will
eat uncooked grasshoppers after they remove the grasshoppers' guts.

In some parts of Nigeria, the Cirina forda Westwood larva is reported to
be the most important and widely eaten insect. This insect, often called
Kanni, is a caterpillar that is collected from the sheabutter tree. It is
boiled and dried in the sun before it is eaten. Kanni is widely used as
an ingredient in vegetable soup in this region.

A very large edible insect is the palm weevil larva. It can be four inches
long and more than two inches wide. The mature larvae are fleshy and grublike
with a high fat content. These insects are collected from the trunks of
palm trees. They are fried in a pot or frying pan. They are reported to
be very delicious.

The compost beetle larvae are even larger than the palm weevil larvae.
They live in garbage or manure piles or swampy areas. The end of the abdomen,
which contains the guts, is removed before the larvae are washed and fried.
Some people refuse to eat this insect because it is found in such "dirty"
places.

Bali - Dragonfly and damselfly adults are hunted in Bali.
Dragonflies are extremely difficult to catch but several interesting techniques
have been used successfully. Latex, sticky plant juice, from the jackfruit
tree is applied to the end of a slender stick. This stick is tied to a longer,
sturdier stick. The stick is lower to a resting dragonfly and with a quick
tap, the dragonfly is stuck to the plant juice. Dragonflies are also captured
by hand, but one must be very quiet and quick. If latex is used to catch
the insects, it is removed with cooking oil before the dragonflies are cooked.
Sometimes the dragonflies are placed directly on the grate of a charcoal
grilled for cooking. Another method involves boiling them with ginger, garlic,
shallots, chili pepper and coconut milk. The wings are removed before cooking
unless they are charcoal roasted.

References

Cherry, R. H. 1991. Use of insects by Australian Aborigines. American
Entomologist 37: 9-13.

Note: If you are having a hard time locating these references, try
your local college or university's entomology department. American Entomologist
is a journal that is published by the Entomology Society of America
and many entomologists are members of this society.